Parking mechanism for automobiles



May 16, 1939. A. BEACHER I PARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 12, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1939. A. BEACHER PARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 12, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elm/11mm flummma May 16, 1939. BEACHER PARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 12, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 f E w W p w W Elite z mm;

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES rarest o'rrics PARKING MECHANISM FOR A'UEEQMOBILES Andrew .Beacher, Lexington, .111.

Application May "12, 1938, Serial No. 207,635

3 Claims.

the automobile,with-means operable-at either the front or rearto positivelymaneuverthe automobile.

The more specificobjects and advantages will become apparent from -a consideration of the .15 =description following taken in connection with "accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:-

Figure 1 is a viewin plan illustrating my improvements in connection with fragments of an :automobile, "the latter being shown in dot-dash "lines;

Figure 2 is a left end elevation of the-parts of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the parts in elevated position;

Figure 4 is a substantially central, longitudinal sectional view, partly broken. away;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the plane of line 63 of Figure 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, parts of an automobile are fragmentarily shown in Figure 1 in dot-dash lines, in which a transmission case and mechanism driven by the engine, under the usual control, is suggested at In and through the usual propeller shaft drives the rear axle mechanism I2 and which in turn drives the rear wheels I3. wheels or front wheels are shown at M, pivoted on vertical axes as usual as at l5 from a cross beam or axle member I6.

5 In accordance with my invention, the transmission case I0 is enlarged or provided with an additional case H which may be secured in any suitable way to the case I0. From one of the driven shafts such as l8, within the transmission mechanism II), as through a gear I3, keyed thereto, a countershaft 20 is driven, such countershaft being journaled in the casing longitudinally thereof and it has keyed thereto a gear 2|, enmeshed with an intermediate gear 22, keyed to a shaft 23 journaled in casing l1, and which in- The steering termediate gear 22 is enmeshed with the gear wheel |9.

Journaled longitudinally of the casing is a shaft "-24 extending to the front and rear of the automobileand jo-urnaled in front andrear'tubu 25 lar shaft sections 25 and 26, suitably journaled in the housing H and journaled and supported otherwise as desired fromthe automobile.

At each end, shaft-2 4 has a-gear wheelitl keyed thereto-which are enmeshed with gear wheels:.28\-i10 journaled on suitably mounted rigid shafts 29,

"which are enmeshed withgear segments 30 of automobile lifting levers 3|.

Saidlevers 3| are employ-ed in pairs both at the front and rear of the automobile and nor-i mallyare elevated or retracted so as not to interfere with-manipulation of the automobile and as best seen inFigure'Z. However, incidental to parking or maneuvering within small spaces, the levers3| are adapted to be disposed in the posi- =20 'tion shownin Figure'B, 'whereinjthe automobile "is lifted.

Said levers 3| have hubs 32 journaled on stub shafts 33, welded or otherwise rigidly secured to adjacent structure such as the axle I6 and the 5 casing of the rear axle l2. Such levers 3| are normally held in horizontal position through the engagement of lugs 34 in notches 35 of the hubs 32. Such lugs 34 are portions of latches 36 pivoted at 31 to the outer ends of the shafts 33 and 30 which are in turn operated by rods 38 pivoted at 39 to the latches. The latches normally hold the levers elevated and must be released before a lifting operation, it being clear that any suitable mechanism may be employed for maintain- 35 ing the latches 36 in the latched position and for releasing them simultaneously preparatory to lifting.

Each pair of levers 3| at the inner end is widened as at 40 and provided with enmeshed seg- 40 mental gear teeth 4|. At the other ends, each lever 3| has a shaft or axle 42, preferably rigidly secured in place, and on which wheels or rollers 43 are journaled.

One wheel 43 at both the front and rear is 45 preferably adapted to be positively driven when desired and to this end the adjacent arm or lever 3| has a shaft 44 journaled in bearings 45 thereon. Each shaft 44 at the inner end has a worm wheel or gear 46 enmeshed with a portion 41 of a relatively large worm wheel or gear 48 carried rigidly by a gear wheel 49 journaled on a shaft 50, rigidly fastened to an adjacent part like the axle l6 and casing of the axle I2. Gear wheels 55 49 are enmeshed with gear wheels 5| keyed to the aforesaid tubular shafts 25 and 26.

In the operation of the device for lifting or lowering incidental to parking or maneuvering within a small space, shaft 20 is driven from the engine through the gearing previously described under suitable clutch control. In order to drive the shaft 24 to accordingly swing the levers 3| to and from lifting position, when the latches 36 are released, a gear shift rod 53 is rocked which slides a gear 54, keyed on and driven by shaft 20 into mesh with a gear keyed on the shaft 24. The intermeshing of the gears 54 and 55 will effect raising movement of the automobile. To effect the lowering movement, gear shift lever 53 is rocked in the opposite direction, moving a gear 56, which is rigid with the gear 54 into mesh with an intermediate gear 51, journaled on a suitable shaft 58, which is enmeshed with a gear 59 on the aforesaid shaft 24.

When the lifting levers are in lifting position, and it is desired to drive the shaft 44 associated with the front lifting levers, gear shift lever 60 is rocked so as to dispose gear 6| slidable on shaft 20 and keyed thereto, into mesh with gear wheel 62, keyed to hollow shaft 25. Rocking of lever in the opposite direction moves a gear wheel 63 rigid with gear wheel Bl into mesh with an intermediate or idler gear 64, journaled on a shaft 65, into mesh with a gear 66 on the hollow shaft 25.

To operate the shaft 44 associated with the rear lifting levers 3|, a gear shift lever 61 is rocked in one direction to slide a gear 68, keyed on shaft 20, into mesh with a gear 69, keyed to the hollow shaft 26 while rocking of the same lever 61 in the opposite direction engages a gear 10, rigid with gear 68, with an intermediate or idler gear ll, keyed on a shaft 12, and enmeshed with a gear wheel 13 on the tubular shaft 26.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a self-propelled vehicle, means driven by the engine thereof, a pair of lifting arms adjacent the front of the vehicle, a pair of lifting arms adjacent the rear of the vehicle, enmeshed gear teeth at the inner ends of each pair to cause the lifting arms to simultaneously rise and to simultaneously fall, means pivotally mounting each arm between its outer end and said enmeshed gear teeth, mechanism to drive the lifting arms into engagement with the ground at their outer ends through said driven means, including gear segments on an arm of each pair inwardly of the axis of that arm, a shaft extending longitudinally of the vehicle, and gearing on the shaft enmeshed with the segments.

In combination with a self-propelled vehicle, means driven by the engine thereof, a pair of lifting arms adjacent the front of the vehicle, a pair of lifting arms adjacent the rear of the vehicle, enmeshed gear teeth at the inner ends of each pair to cause the lifting arms to simultaneously rise and to simultaneously fall, means pivotally mounting each arm between its outer end and said enmeshed gear teeth, mechanism to drive the lifting arms into engagement with the ground at their outer ends through said driven means, including gear segments on an arm of each pair inwardly of the axis of that arm, a shaft extending longitudinally of the vehicle, gearing on the shaft enmeshed with the segments, and wheels at the free ends of the arms.

3. In combination with a self-propelled vehicle, means driven by the engine thereof, a pair of lifting arms adjacent one end of the vehicle, segments at the inner ends of said lifting arms having enmeshed gear teeth to cause the arms to simultaneously rise and to simultaneously fall, mechanism to drive the lifting arms into engagement with the ground at their outer ends through said driven means, and means pivot-ally mounting each arm between its outer end and said enmeshed gear teeth.

ANDREW BEACHER. 

